Virginia Restraining Order Carry Bill Approved By Senate

We mentioned earlier this week that the Virginia Senate would soon be voting on a bill that would enable domestic violence victims who take out a protective order to get immediate access to a concealed-carry permit. The Senate has now passed House Bill 1852 by a vote of 27-13.

This is an important piece of legislation as it will typically take up to 45 days after filing an application to receive the permit. For women whose lives are in danger, they simply don’t have those days to spare. Carol Bowne of New Jersey might still be alive today if the Garden State had adopted a similar law.

“The essence of this is that we want to empower people, especially women, who find themselves in a position where they are in fear of their lives, to be able to protect themselves in a manner that they see fit,” said Republican Delegate C. Todd Gilbert, sponsor of the bill.

HB 1852 now heads to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s desk. He vetoed similar legislation last year.

Suspect Robbing Store Fatally Shot By Customer Carrying Firearm

An armed robber paid a call to a New Orleans T-Mobile store looking for quick cash, but there was one hang up: There was a customer inside who was carrying his concealed handgun.

The New Orleans Police Department told The Times Picayune that last Friday evening, the 28-year-old suspect entered the store brandishing a gun. He ordered all the employees and customers to the back room and demanded the store’s safe be unlocked. It was when he was reaching into the safe that a customer pulled his own firearm and shot the suspect several times. The would-be robber was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities took both the customer’s gun and the suspected armed robber’s gun into custody. However, the shooting seems to be clearly self-defense. As NOPD Spokesperson Dawne Massey told reporters, “From all accounts it appears there will not be any charges brought forward for this incident.”

Associated Press Equates Silencers With “Hit Men”

In beginning newswriting classes, students are taught to write a lead sentence that gives the most important bits of information critical to understanding the rest of the story.

That being the case, an Associated Press writer apparently decided on Tuesday to use fake news as her hook. “They [silencers] are the stuff of legend, wielded by hit men and by James Bond,” began the story about the Hearing Protection Act currently under consideration in Congress.

The story did go on to be fairly unbiased and quoted some who are in support of the legislation, which would largely deregulate the sale of firearm suppressors. But with the propensity of many people to read only headlines and lead paragraphs, it’s likely the damage was already done before this story made it to a real discussion of this important issue.

Someone Needs Their Headline Crayon Taken Away

Whether intentionally or not, a headline writer for thehill.com on Tuesday managed to turn an otherwise very informative story into a subtle accusation that Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, is a plagiarist.

The story detailed how Gorsuch, after receiving easy, bipartisan approval from the Senate back in 2006, used some of the same answers to similar questions in a new Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire. That would seem a logical thing to do: If the answers were appropriate at that time, they likely still would be.

Yet thehill.com’s headline read: “Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch Copies and Pastes.” Perhaps a little more detail in the headline, or a little less accusatory tone when discussing a Supreme Court nominee, would serve that headline writer well moving forward.

It’s Time To Contact Senators About SSA Gun Ban Vote

American gun owners should take this opportunity to contact their U.S. senators about an important piece of legislation that could be considered on the Senate floor as early as this week.

The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed House Joint Resolution 40, a measure that would repeal President Barack Obama’s not-so-subtle attempt to take guns from thousands of law-abiding Social Security Administration (SSA) beneficiaries. After the House vote, media and gun-ban advocates have launched a concerted fake news effort to discredit the measure as an attempt to arm the severely mentally ill.

In truth, according to NRA-ILA, the SSA rule is contrary to science, the Second Amendment and fundamental principles of due process; is unrelated to public safety; and cynically targets a misunderstood, marginalized population.

Use Your Power!

Gun owners throughout the country are encouraged to contact their state senators and ask them to please vote “YES” on House Joint Resolution 40. You can call them through the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or email them byclicking here.